Freshmen Electives 2015-2016
Below is a list of elective courses available to freshmen in 2015-2016. Next to each is the
description and any required pre-requisites.
Band (1 credit)
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An audition is required for any student not currently in 7 Grade or HS Band
Elective 9-12
The Buchanan High School Band will be a year-long course open to all students with experience on band instruments
and will include all aspects of the band curriculum. The first nine weeks will be the marching band component of the
class. Auditions for color guard and drum major are held in the spring for fall placements. The second nine weeks
consist of preparation for the Holiday Concert. Second semester will be primarily concert preparation, except for the
Blossomtime and Memorial Day parades. There are many additional activities associated with concert and marching
seasons, for example: solo & ensemble festivals (district and state levels), MSBOA District 6 All-Star Band, WMU AllStar Band, Lakeland Conference Fine Arts Festival All-Star Band, and the Pit Ensemble for the musical. All
performances are graded and required, as well as summer band camp which is typically held during the
week that bridges July and August.
ART ELECTIVES
Basic Art (1 credit)
College credit available through Southwestern Michigan College
Elective 8-12
Explore a year discovering your talent through a variety of assignments while being introduced to the elements and
principles of design, art history, art analysis and criticism. This course prepares students who are interested in taking
other art classes. The student will improve in technical skills, find original solutions to problems and develop visual
means of communication. Possible experiences in: pencil renderings, linear perspective, figure drawing, ink
technique, matting, cut paper design, calligraphy, printmaking, painting, jewelry, sculpture, and architectural
drawings.
Ceramics (1-2 credits)
Pre-requisite: C or better in Basic Art.
May be repeated with teacher approval.
College credit available through Southwestern Michigan College
Elective 9-12
The focus of this year long course is on three-dimensional experiences in both hand-built and wheel thrown pottery.
Multiple means of formation, technique, and surface decoration will be covered. Art history, criticism, and aesthetics
will be explored. Assignments could include functional bowls, cups, teapots, serving trays, cookie jars, bottles, vases,
whistles, tiles, non-functional ware, mixing clay and glazes, and learning firing processes.
2D Art
(1 credit)
Pre-requisite: C or better in Basic Art.
May be repeated with teacher approval.
Elective 9-12
Students make this class the learning environment they want by choosing media and themes prior to starting the
course in the fall. Students who are enrolling in this class will meet as a group, shortly after the student survey to
schedule the course to decide the main focus of their class. During that meeting we will 1) explore the twodimensional media available for use during the course of the year 2) Decide the main learning focus students are
interested in focusing on. Over the course students will respond to themes and explore art history, criticism, and
analysis. Possible experiences in: architecture, portraiture, animals, landscapes, fashion design, automotive design,
calligraphy, typography, printmaking, imaginative compositions from the mind, animation, cartooning, hand-made
paper, graphic arts, still-life, and murals. However the possibilities are endless depending on what students decide at
the meeting.
BUSINESS ELECTIVE
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21 Century Technology (1 credit)
Elective 9-12
This class will prepare students for the multimedia-rich workplace by teaching them multimedia concepts as well as
business-standard software applications to complete projects and solve problems. Several software applications will
be explored both on the PC and on the iPads to enrich and increase the tools available for students to use in all of
their classes. Applications include digital imaging, print publishing, audio and video production, Web publishing,
presentations, and the changing business environment.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
**In the State of Michigan, all students must complete two years of the same foreign language prior to graduating.
These courses are listed as electives because BHS does not stipulate in which years you must complete the credits.
Spanish 1
(1 credit)
Elective 8 - 12
First year students will learn to communicate in Spanish on a variety of topics including school and after school
activities, foods and beverages, describing people, daily schedules, describing classes and locations, family,
shopping, places and events and restaurants. They will be able to form complete sentences by applying numerous
grammatical structures including subject pronouns, gustar with nouns and infinitives, definite and indefinite articles,
noun-adjective agreement, the verb tener, regular present tense conjugations, the verb ir, possessive adjectives,
comparatives, and stem-changing verbs. In addition, the students will gain knowledge and understanding of Spanish
culture through various readings, art projects and discussions.
Spanish 2 (1 credit)
Pre-requisite: Spanish 1 Teacher Approval
Elective 9-12
Second year students will learn to communicate in Spanish on topics which include the house and household items,
planning a party, maintaining health and parts of the body, sports, electronics and phone calls, daily routines and
vacations. Students will be able to use grammatical structures such as ser and estar, ordinal numbers, irregular
verbs in the present, affirmative tu commands, the verb jugar, saber and conocer, the preterite tense, negative words,
irregular preterite verbs, pronouns and prepositions, reflexive verbs, present progressive, indirect object pronouns
and demonstrative adjectives. In addition, students will gain greater cultural understanding through readings,
discussions and various art projects.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION ELECTIVE
Wellness (1 credit)
Choose Wellness – F for girls/Wellness M for boys
Required
This course integrates the curriculums of Health and Fitness (required for graduation). Wellness includes study in all
aspects of health, including; “Covey 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.” Students will participate in lifetime physical
activities and classroom activities. The physical activities include: Tennis, Basketball, Volleyball, Softball, Soccer,
and several other activities. In the classroom, decision making techniques are used to help students make
responsible choices. Special attention is focused on mental health, substance abuse, nutrition, and sexually
transmitted infections – HIV/AIDS. Wellness is an activity centered curriculum. Its goals are to orient students to
high school, improve study skills, and to provide opportunities to develop their own interests, skills, and
abilities. Students will learn strategies for developing long and short term goals as well as for becoming positive,
contributing members of school and community.
Life Fitness (1 credit)
Pre-requisite: Must complete Wellness prior to taking Life Fitness
Elective 9 –12
Life fitness is designed to help individuals develop the cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength necessary to
achieve healthy fitness levels. Two days of the week will be devoted to strength training while one day a week
focuses on conditioning or cardio-respiratory endurance to encourage participants to develop the self-discipline
needed to improve their success in the class. The remaining two days per week will be devoted to team sports
and/or game activities.
TECHNOLOGY ELECTIVE
Power Sports Technology (1 credit)
Elective 9-10
Students in this course will learn the fundamental operations of the 2 and 4 stroke engine which will include engine
parts identification and function along with ignition and fuel system operation. Students will also learn how to
maintain, diagnose and repair outdoor power and power sports equipment. The main part of this class is the study of
the small gas engine which will include each student doing a tear down, inspection, measurement, and reassembly
then making run a Briggs & Stratton engine. During the school year students will be allowed to bring in their own
equipment and machines to work on such as lawn mowers, garden tractors, snow blowers, weed trimmers and leaf
blowers, chainsaws, ATVs, snowmobiles, personal watercraft, motorcycles and outboard motors. This class is
strongly recommended for anyone interested in a career in automotive, truck, heavy equipment or aviation service.